The baselard (also basilard, baslard, in Middle French also badelare, bazelaire and variants, latininzed baselardus, basolardus etc., in Middle High German beseler, baseler, basler, pasler; baslermesser) is a historical type of dagger or short sword of the Late Middle Ages.

In modern use by antiquarians, the term baselard is mostly reserved for a type of 14th century weapon with an H-shaped handle[1] which evolved out of the 13th-century knightly dagger. Contemporary usage was less consequent, and the term in Middle French and Middle English could probably be applied to a wider class of large dagger. The term (in many spelling variants) first appears in the first half of the 14th century.

In modern use by antiquarians, the term baselard is mostly reserved for a type of 14th century weapon with an H-shaped handle which evolved out of the 13th-century knightly dagger. Contemporary usage was less consequent, and the term in Middle French and Middle English could probably be applied to a wider class of large dagger. The term (in many spelling variants) first appears in the first half of the 14th century. There is evidence that the term baselard is in origin a Middle French or Middle Latin corruption of the German basler [messer] "Basel knife".

Both the term baselard and the large dagger with H-shaped hilt or "baselard proper" appear by the mid 14th century. Several 14th-century attestations from france gloss the term as coutel "knife". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baselard